Jonny Wilkinson looks set to become the seventh North star to be named as the BBC's sports personality of the year.

The rugby World Cup winner is expected to pick up the 2003 title tonight despite a cunning plot by bitter Aussies and the rebellious Irish.

Voting for the prize's 50th anniversary winner has had some sports fans scratching their heads at the unlikely candidates put forward.

Outsiders nominated for the title include Gaelic football star Peter Canavan, Welsh snooker player Mark Williams, tennis ace Tim Henman and Leeds United defender Michael Duberry.

Though none of these unfancied contenders has secured a last-minute victory in a world cup final for England, that very fact has commended them to countries envious of our triumph.

The 24-year-old Newcastle Falcons fly-half is an amazing 10-1-on favourite with the bookies despite a determined opposition campaign.

It was the Aussies, still bitter about their World Cup defeat last month, who launched an email campaign backing Henman in a bid to sabotage Jonny's chances.

The email, championed by the Sydney Morning Herald, whinges: "Jonny doesn't have a personality.

"Anyone who practises kicking on Christmas Day can't have one."

A similar email campaign has been launched by Irish sports fans eager to see Canavan, the golden boy of Gaelic football but little known over here, land the prize. The games teacher captained Tyrone to their first all-Ireland championship in the competition's 100-year history.

Jonny Wilkinson may have been playing last month's World Cup final with a fractured shoulder, his North club revealed yesterday.

Jonny, who has not played since famously drop-kicking England to victory over Australia in Sydney, had a CT scan yesterday which highlighted the injury.

He was due to play for his club, Newcastle Falcons, in their Parker Pen Challenge Cup tie against Spanish minnows Valladolid tomorrow, but he has now been ruled out of play for two to three weeks.

A statement by Newcastle Falcons said: "Following a CT scan, Newcastle Falcons confirm that Jonny Wilkinson has a slight fracture of a facet - a small joint between the neck and shoulder - and believe this may have happened several weeks ago."

Rob Andrew, the Falcons' director of rugby, added: "Our medical team does not believe that this is a serious problem. The fracture is stable and healing, and we fully expect Jonny to be playing in the next two to three weeks."

He added that the injury was not connected to a minor car accident Wilkinson was involved in earlier this week.

It is understood that Jonny, 24, had felt some pain and discomfort after a couple of weight-training sessions.

He had a precautionary X-ray on his shoulder and neck on Thursday night before undergoing the scan yesterday.

The injury marks the end of an eventful week for Wilkinson.

On Monday he took part in England's victory parade in London, he was involved in a car crash on his way back to Newcastle, and he returned to London on Wednesday to receive his MBE at Buckingham Palace.